ORANGE BEACH, Ala. — Mobile artist Sarah Haas Otts will exhibit her abstract landscapes at the Orange Beach Arts Center July 18 through Sept. 10 as a part of the Visiting Artists and Special Exhibits Series.

The public is invited to the opening reception, 5-7 p.m. July 22 at 26389 Canal Road.

Otts says the series of paintings, titled “View of the Water,” represents what allures us to the coast every summer.

“The paintings are my abstract interpretation of the extending horizontal lines of the Gulf landscape as well as the brilliant colors and luminosity of the water,” she says. “In addition to the Gulf, some paintings exemplify landscapes seen in the bay, various rivers and the Mobile Delta.”

Otts grew up in Mobile, where she attended St. Paul’s Episcopal School. She graduated from the University of Mississippi where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with an emphasis in painting. In college she studied watercolor in London, and currently works as a full-time artist in her Midtown Mobile studio.

PENSACOLA, Fla. –– Jam Theatricals and Friends of the Saenger recently announced the Broadway in Pensacola 2011-2012 Season with six shows highlighted by the Mel Brooks musical “Young Frankenstein.”

The season also brings the Lerner and Loewe classic “My Fair Lady,” the farewell tour of the Celtic sensation “Riverdance,” plus Hal Holbrook in “Mark Twain Tonight,” the revue “Elvis Lives” and the a cappella group Straight No Chaser.

Subscriptions are on sale now. Prices range from $165 to $290 depending on the series and seating choices. Straight No Chaser can be added for an additional cost. All seats are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis after existing subscribers’ renewal requests have been processed.

Tickets for individual shows go on sale as each performance date approaches. To receive advance notice of on-sale dates, sign up to receive the e-newsletter at www.pensacolasaenger.com. The subscription hotline is 850-595-3880.

‘Hot Glass Blowout’ in Orange Beach

ORANGE BEACH, Ala. — The Hot Shop @ Orange Beach Arts Center will hold a “Hot Glass Blowout” mini-fundraiser from 6 until 8 p.m. July 22 at 26389 Canal Road, three-tenths of a mile east of the 161/Canal Road intersection. Admission is free.

Proceeds from sales of hand-blown drinking glasses ($20) support Alabama’s only public-access glass blowing studio. Resident artist Sam Cornman works with other glass artists including Jay Thrash and Andrew Thompson of Bear Creek Glass, and intern Katy Avant, to create unique blown-glass pieces that will be auctioned off during the performance.

Anyone who already has a hand-blown drinking glass can bring it and fill it for a $10 donation. Friends of the Arts members can purchase drinking glasses at a reduced rate. Non-alcoholic beverages and food are complimentary.

In related news, the Hot Shop has added a new class. Every Tuesday at 4 p.m. you can experience the art of glass-fusing, creating a one-of-a-kind sun catcher as a souvenir. By arranging colored cut glass pieces on a clear square of glass, the design will be fused in the annealer overnight. Your creation will be ready to pick up the next day.

At 4 p.m. every Wednesday, the Hot Shop will provide an opportunity for visitors to cast their hands, feet, shells or mementos in glass. After pressing an object into a box of sand, the glass artist will pour molten glass into the form. After annealing overnight, the casting will be ready.

Ages 8 and older can work with the glass artists alone; children younger than 8 must be accompanied by an adult. Classes last 10 to 20 minutes and cost between $20 and $35.

The event is the company’s signature fundraising event where opera stars serenade guests tableside over a gourmet wine dinner. The evening’s entertainment is determined by guests as they bid on popular selections from opera and musical theater to be performed for them course by course.

Tickets are $100 per person. Dress for the evening is cocktail attire and seating is limited. RSVP by Sept. 12 to Pensacola Opera Center at 850-433-6737.

“Nowhere else can you hear this many amazing voices in such an intimate setting,” says Erin Sammis, business manager for Pensacola Opera. “It’s just a wonderful evening, perfect both as a treat for opera aficionados or newcomers looking for a great night out.”

All proceeds from the Jukebox Gala will support Pensacola Opera’s mission to enrich the culture of Northwest Florida by producing professional opera performances, educational programs and other opera-related community events for people of all ages, interests and backgrounds.

In other news, Pensacola Opera recently welcomed Courtney Henderson as its new patron services and box office associate.

A recent graduate of Brigham Young University, she holds a Bachelor’s degree in public relations. Henderson officially assumed her duties June 13, taking over the box office position from Morgan Cole, who was promoted to special events and marketing manager.

In this position Cole will be responsible for coordinating special events and will be staff liaison to the Pensacola Opera Guild. She also will take on additional marketing responsibilities.

The company bid farewell to Jennifer Knisbell, who spent the past three years with Pensacola Opera. Knisbell will leave Pensacola to further her career in the arts industry.

Theatre 98 seeking memorabilia

FAIRHOPE, Ala. — Theatre 98 in Fairhope is celebrating its 50th season and is seeking memorabilia from the last five decades to commemorate its community theater.

The company is particularly interested in items from productions pre-1984. Anyone with photographs, playbills or any distinctive items from previous shows to share is urged to contact Theatre 98 historian Joyce Vath at 251-929-1726.